Car-coupling



(No Model.) ASHBUR N;

GAR COUPLING.

No. 530,565. Patented Dec. 11,1894.

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and to provide a simple and novel combination and arrangement of UNITED"STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL N. WASHBURN,QF OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,565, dated December1 1, 1 894.

Application filed April 23,1894.

Serial No. 508,685. (No model.)

To all whom, it may coiwern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL N. WASHBURN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Olympia, in the county ofThurston and State of Washington,have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is aspecification. p

The invention relates to improvements in car couplings. I

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcar couplings, and comparatively inexpensive one, capable ofautomaticcoup-' ling, and adapted to be readily uncoupled from the top and thesides of'cars without going between them.

The invention consists in the construction parts hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out inthe claims hereto appended.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car couplingconstructed in accordance with this invention, and shown applied to acar. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the top of the draw-head being raisedfor releasing the link. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 isa longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view ofoneend of the link, showing the under side thereof.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding'parts in all thefigures of the drawings. 1 designates a draw-bar, having its front orouter end 2 enlarged and forming the bottom of the draw-head, andprovided on its upper face with a beveled catch or projection 3, whichis adapted to confine a link 4. The draw-bar 1 is provided at oppositesides of its enlarged end 2, at the back thereof, with curved recesses5, forming seats or supports for the front ends 6 of pivoted sides 7.The lower faces of the front ends 6 are rounded, and the recesses orseats 5 are curved to conform to the configuration of the ends 6. Thesides 7 are approximately J -shaped, their rear ends or terminals 8being curved upwardand forward, and. located above the draw-bars; andpivoted between the rear terminals of the sides is a projection 9 of atop piece 10,

form a knuckle, which receives a transverse pintle pin 11.

Thefront end of the draw-bar is beveled and so is the front end of thetop 10, to enable the link 4 to engage readily with the catch 3 bymoving up the beveled front of the latter, lifting the top and droppinginto engagement with the shouldered end of the catch. The lower face ofthe top is provided with a recess 12, which receives the top of thecatch and securely confines the link.

Thetop 10 of the draw-head is adapted to be swung upward to permit thelink to conple with the catch, and to release the link.

' Itsindependent upward swing is limited by the shoulders 16 of theknuckle, which shoulders engage the upper terminals of the sides andlift the latter, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings,whereby the link is lifted clear of the catch for uncoupling. The upwardswing of the sides is limited by a transverse stop pin 13, which islocated above the pivot 14. of the sides, and a short distance above thedraw-bar, and is adapted to engage the upper face thereof, whereby thetop 10 and sides 7 are prevented from swinging backward too far, and arecaused to drop by gravity to their normal position.

- The link is provided with a longitudinal opening. Its ends 15 arelaterally enlarged, and they have their lower faces beveled, and theyare provided at their side edges with. depending diverging flanges 17,which serve to guide the link into proper engagement with the catch.

Theoperation of uncoupling is performed from the side of a car 18, by atransverse shaft 19 provided with a central pulley 20, which isconnected by a chain 21 with the top 10 of the draw-head. The ends ofthe horizontal shaft are provided with hand wheels. It is connected by abevel gearing 22 with a vertical shaft 23, and the latter extends to thetop of the car to enable the operation of uncoupling to be performedfrom that point. Each shaft is provided with a ratchet wheel 24, and haspivoted adjacent to it a pawl 25 for holding the draw-head in anuncoupled therear end of the latter being shaped to position to preventcoupling for the purpose of shifting the link. The inward movement ofthe link in the draw-head is limited bya shouldered stop, depending fromthe lower face of the top and arranged at the rear end thereof.

It will be seen that the car coupling is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it is capable of readily coup: lingautomatically, and that the operation of uncoupling may be convenientlyperformed from the top and sides of cars without necessitating a trainhand going between them.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmaybe resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is- 1; In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-headbottom provided with a catch, the sides pivoted to the bottom andarranged to engage and lift a link, and the top hingedly connected withthe sides and resting upon the catch, and having a limited swingingmovement independent of the sides to permit a link to lift it and engagethe catch without raising the sides, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the draw-head bottom provided with a catch andhaving opposite recesses or seats, sides pivoted to the bottom andhaving their front portions sup:

and a top hingedly connected with the sides 7 and extending above thecatch to confine a link, substantially as described.

' '3. In a car'coupling, the combination of the draw-head bottomprovided with opposite recesses-or seats, the sides pivoted to the bodyand having their front portions supported by said recesses or seats andadapted to swing upward to release the link, and a top hingedlyconnected with the sides, substantially as described.

4. In a car coupling, the combination of the draw-bar having an enlargedfront end and provided with opposite curved recesses or seats, a catchcarried by the draw-bar, the sides pivoted to the draw-bar, and havingforwardly projecting upward extending rear terminals located above thedraw-bar, said sides having their front ends rounded and supported bysaid recesses or seats, a top having its rear end hingedly connectedwith the upper terminals of the sides, and a stop for limiting theupward swinging of the sides, substantially as described.

5. In a car coupling, the combination with a draw-head having a catch,of a link having laterally enlarged beveled ends provided with oppositeside flanges, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL N. WVASHBURN.

Witnesses:

MATHEW SHIELDS, ALEX. DRYSDALE.

